Sign and method for making the same



Feb. 3. 1925;

w. H. SPENCER SIGN AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledApril 17,

WITNESSES iNVENTOR Feb. 3. 1925.

w. H. SPENCER smu AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME Filed April 17, 1924 2Sheets-Sheet ,2

INVENTOR wlmgpsEs Patented Feb. 3, 1925. 7

UNITED STATES 1,525,107 PATENT OFFICE. I

WILLIAM H. srnlvcnnyor BOQOTA,NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR To 1. r. FRINK me; on

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CQRPORATION on NEW YORK.

SIGN AND METHOD FOR MAKINGTHE SAME.

Application filed April 17,v 1924. Serial No. 707,146.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Bogota, county of Bergen, and State of New Jersey, haveinventedcertain new and useful-Improvements in Si ns and .Methods' forMakiugthe Same, of W ich the following is a specification. I

Thisv invention relates to signs and methods for making the same. It ismore especially related to devices ofthis nature in which a legend ordesign is arranged upon a background of contrasting character orappearance. The primary object of my invention is to provide an improvedconstruc-- tion and an improved method for making an article of thisnature.

As an illustration of the principle underlying this invention, I haveshown on the drawings a preferred embodiment in the form of anilluminated sign which is pref-- erably constructed on a base of glassor other translucent material for the purpose of enhancing itsornamental appearance and for showing the designor legend thereon instriking contrast to the surrounding background. Toward the attainmentofthis purpose, the present invention contemplates'a sign comprisingelectro-plated roughened areas in conjunction with. unroughened areascontiguous thereto. The method employed and. the final result securedwill be understood from the I specification. In carrying out myinvention on a base of uniform thickness, the areas to be roughened arepreferably treated by sand blast or hydro-fiuoric acid so that saidroughened areas are depressed withrespect to the unimpaired surface ofthe block. For the purpose of accentuating the outline of the design orlegend on the sign the invention contemin the specification and beplates as a refinement, the electro-plating operation to form a borderto the roughened areas which in its relation to the plane of theunroughened areas may be flush therewith, slightly. raised with respectthereto, thickcned or beaded as desired. According to the drawings, theinvention has been illustrated in this respect with a raised thickenedborder around the design or legend.

Specific objects of invention will appear pointed out in the ap endedclaims.

n the drawings, Figures 1 to 8 inclusive, illustrate successive stagesin the process of manufacture, all of said views correspondmg to theline 8'-8, of Figure 9.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-section of i the sign base asconstructed of plate glass;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section of the same afterthe application of asuitably prepared layer of paper correspondingin form to the design orlegend to be formed on said plate;

Figure 3 is a similarfragmentary section according to which a layer uIadhesive has been applied to said paper;

Figure 4 is a similar section showing the application of a protectivecoating of sand tothe adhesive layer;

Figure 5 isa similar section after surrounding portions of thebackground have been removed by a sand blast;

Figure 6 is a similar section after the application to the background ofa conductive layer such as a silver solution, portions of theprotectivecovering on the design being broken away;

Figure 7 is a similar section showing the plate after removal of theprotective covermg i a Figure 8 is a similar fragmentary section of thefinished sign on the line 8-8 of Figure 9;

Figure 9 is a plan view of a finished sign constructed according to thepresent invention;

' Figure 10 is a similar plan view of another embodiment in its finalform as exemplified in a clock dial;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary section on the line.1111 of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a similar fragmentary section showing an incompleted stageof the same; igure 13 is a fragmentary'detail plan of the dial at anincompleted stage;

Figure 14 is a fragmentary plan view of another embodiment of myinvention as exem lified in a clock'dial; and i ligure 15 is afragmentary section on the line 15'-15, of Figure 14.

I11 the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 1 to 9 inclusive, abase 1 constructed of plate glass has been.oporated upon to form inrelief the letters indicated thereon by reference characters 2, saidletters having for their upper surfaces, the

residual portions of the original surface of the plate glass afterportions contiguous thereto have been removed by a suitable comprise amaterial as indicated. in Figure 2, the-upper.

agency such as a sand blast or a bath of hydrofluoric acid which leavesa roughened background corresponding t he hollowed out spaces 7.According to my improved method of producing this sign a protectivecovering is applied toportions of the upper surface of the plate glassbase 1 shown in Figure 1. Said protective covering mav layer 1 of paperor other suitable f-surface of said layer 4 being covered by a in'Figure of suitable binding material as shown 3. Upon this binder. may bedelayer 5 I ample, may consist of powdered graphite or similar powder inan aqueous solution of water glass as described in U. S. Patent No.893,811 granted to Pickard under date of July 21, 1908, or any othersuitable' coating of this. nature for permanently attaching I Theprotective covering comprising the lay 10 to 13 inclusive. Acircular-plate 11,- of

glass which may be clear, opague or ground the conductive layer to theglass plate and I incorporating it with said plate,

As an al-' ternative for this purpose, the roughened glass plate or sandblasted letters maybe.

coated with a chemical deposit of silver-"for the electrolytic depositto be made thereon.

ers'el, 5 and 6 may then be removed from the unimpaired portions of theoriginal top surfaceofthe plate lass as indicated in Figure 7 and theplate thus prepared suspended in a suitable solution for electro;platingthe.

conductive layer 8- The final form of the signthus produced isillustrated Figures 8 and 9 in which an electro deposited layer 9 such,as for example as copper, constitutes a decorative back round to, theletters Exit which are formed by the smooth original top surface of the'plate glass base 1. From an inspection of Figures 7 and 8, it will beseenthat. the conductive layer 8 is preferablv provided with upwardlypresented marginal edges 8 around the borders, of the letters 2 so thatwhen the electro-deposited layer 9 is applied thereto, a beaded reliefborder 10 is formed around the margin of each. of said letters- Anadaptation of my invention to the construction of a clock .dial, isshown in Figures 1s provlded with depressions to form the design inintaglio in the dial plate, Ac-

cording to this "embodiment of my invenlayer 6 of sand, for example,which.

'tion, the numbers or designs with which the plate glass base 11 is tobe marked, constitute-those areas which-are to be degraded and thenbuilt up by superposed layers of' conductive material andelectro-deposited metal. The protective covering may be unprotectedportions of said top surface to form thedepressions indicated at 13 inFigure 12; The roughened depressions thus formed are flooded with asuitable conduc- ,tivesolution or paint of any desired composition suchas suggested above. For this purpose, the several numbers of the clockdial may be connected up 'with the battery anode by conductive strips14, and with each other by suitable bridgev strips 15, said conductivestrips being removed after the electro-plating has'been accomplished andthe dial removed from the bath. The dial plate thusv completed includesthe electrodeposited layer" 16 with raised beaded margins 17 forming astrikingly beautiful deslgng I Referring now to the embodiment shown inFigures 14 and 15 of the drawings, the figures on the clock dial may beconstructed in relief and with raised beaded margins by a sequence of.operations similar to those described in connection with Figures 1 to 9inclusive. -Thus;the roughenedsurface 20 of ,the degraded portions ofthe design is coated with a conductive layer 21 upon which iselectro-deposit'ed a layer of metal '22. For this purpose, a plate glassbase 19 7 may be subjected to the degrading action of hydrofluoric acidor sand blast preparatoryto the application. of the conductive andelectro-deposited layers.

1 claim: J 1. The method of forming a-device ofthe character described,which method consists informing a permanent base, in removing portionsof said permanent base corresponding to the design or legend desired, inapplyinga conductive layer to the surface .left by the removal of saidbase portions and character de scribed, which method consists in forminga roughened surface upon a penmanen't base to outline a design or legendthereon, in applying a conductive layer to said roughened surface and indepositing a permanent electroplated layer on said roughened surface bymeans of said con: ductive layer. I a

' 3. The method of forming a plate glass sign which method consists intreating one surface of a plate glass base to form a depressed roughenedsurface, and in permanently electroplating said depressed roughenedsurface by means of a suitable interposed conductive layer, and incontinuing the electrodeposition until a thickened border is formedthereon to accentuate the outline.

.4. The method of making signs, which consists in providing a plateglass base with a roughened surface forming an outline thereon, inapplying a conductive layer to said roughened surface, and inelectroplating said conductive layer to form a permanently attached andincorporated metal deposit on the roughened areas of said sign.

The method of making signs, said method consisting in roughcningportions of the surface of a plate glass base, in applying to saidroughened portions a conductive layer adapted to form a permanentlyattached and incorporated portion of said base, and in electroplatingsaid conductive layer.

said conductive layer being provided with raised borders around themargin of said protective coating, in electro-plating said conductivelayer, and in removing said protective. coatin 8. A sign constructed oftranslucent material and having unimpaired surface portions androughened surface portions, and a metallic layer permanently attached toand incorporated with said roughened surface portions.

WILLIAM H. SPENCER.

